The present invention relates to a method for selecting a communication system assigned to a transmission network of an automation system, wherein a transmission network with a plurality of subscribers of one or more automation systems connected to a transmission network is displayed, or is displayable, on a display unit, and the transmission network is assigned at least two communication systems, and wherein the at least two communication systems are each designed and configured over the transmission network for communication between at least two of the subscribers connected to the transmission network.
There are known methods for selecting a communication system. For example, a Profibus transmission network with a plurality of subscribers is disclosed in the book “AUTOMATING WITH SIMATIC” (Automating with Simatic, Author: Hans Berger, 3rd revised edition 2006, Publicis Corporate Publication), in Chapter 6, Subchapter 6.5. Here, individual subscribers can be connected up to a communication system as a local periphery with a central unit. After selecting the central unit on a screen, property values of this local peripheral system can then be input and changed in a programming system.
A disadvantage of the aforementioned transmission network is that when processing such communication systems the user must have precise information about the significance of the individual subscribers to parameterize a corresponding system.